Oct 17, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers manager Dave Roberts (30) celebrates with first baseman Freddie Freeman (5) after defeating the Milwaukee Brewers in game four of the NLCS round for the 2025 MLB playoffs at Dodger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Dodgers' Freddie Freeman Reveals Key to Late-Season Turnaround

Originally posted on Los Angeles Dodgers on SI
By Patrick Warren | Last updated Oct 21, 2025 1:30 PM ET

Even with 93 wins and an NL West title, the Dodgers' regular season could be seen as a bit of a disappointment.

The Dodgers were the No. 3 seed in the National League, meaning they had to toil through two games against the Cincinnati Reds before they could take care of the rest of the NL field.

The No. 3 seed, a worse seed than the Dodgers were projected after their dominant 29-15 start to the season, came as a result of a struggle-ridden second-half.

A second-half slump saw the Dodgers stumble in July with a 10-14 record before getting back into form in September with a 15-10 record. The Dodger bullpen played a large role in the LA's shortcomings, as the team was just 5-20 in games decided by two runs or less from early July to early September, per the Los Angeles Times.

Despite the lows, the Dodgers remained confident in their long term ability to bounce back, even after ceding their lead in the division to the San Diego Padres in mid-August.

Finally, in September and through the playoffs, the Dodgers began playing up to their sky-high potential. One reason why the Dodgers improved over the final few weeks of the season was their starting pitching.

Through September, the Dodgers starting pitching staff held a 2.07 ERA. Through the first three rounds of the playoffs, their collective ERA dropped down to 1.40. As the pitching got better, so did the Dodgers' bats, according to first baseman Freddie Freeman.

“We started winning because our starting pitching was just so good,” Freeman told the Los Angeles Times. “As an offense, when you see your starting pitcher just throwing zeros over and over and over again, it’s like, ‘C’mon, just get one, get two, get three.’"

There has been no shortage of impressive starting pitching in the postseason for the Dodgers. The MLB's best starting rotation in Blake Snell, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Shohei Ohtani have all given the Dodgers good reason to be confident headed into the World Series.

“We always knew we were going to be a really, really good team in October,” Dodgers third baseman Max Muncy said. “Once you get to October, it’s, ‘Alright, it’s game time.’ That’s how we’re taking it.”